


Sunshine

by darkrogue1 (Lily_Haydee_Lohdisse)



Series: Sunshine series [1]
Category: Kyou Kara Maou!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-06-19
Updated: 2006-06-22
Packaged: 2018-07-29 12:56:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 5,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7685482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lily_Haydee_Lohdisse/pseuds/darkrogue1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Serie</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sun kissed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s a sunny hot day and Yuuri and co have gone for a picnic. Yuuri enjoys the sun. No actual kiss.
> 
> I also would like to thank [](http://slytherisa.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://slytherisa.livejournal.com/)**slytherisa** for her constructive beta-reading.

Shibuya Yuuri was laying down on the green grass. They had gone for a picnic on a hill and the young king had gone a few meters away to a nice patch of grass directly in the sun. He was enjoying the warmth that enveloped him like a warm bubbly cloth: it was as if the heat was coming from inside of him, and yet it did not come from him. Then he felt a tremor in the ground as silent feet approached and a cool shadow fell upon his head.   
  
"Heika."  
  
  
Yuuri tilted his head slightly upwards so he could see Conrad’s face.

"Don’t spoil my day," he whined. "It was perfect until now, Nazukeoya." He tried a scowl, but he was feeling so good it mustn’t have been very effective. Perhaps the fact that his face was upside down had also something to do with it. He closed his eyes and rested them from the crude light.

"I’m sorry… Yuuri. I just wanted to know if you were all right – the sun is very strong today, you should be careful not to get a sunstroke." The youth felt the shadow retreat and the burn returned to his heated face.

"Don’t move!" He pleaded. 

The shadow came back.

"What is it, Hei… Yuuri ?" Conrad’s voice was amused. 

"Can you stay just like this, please?" Yuuri said, opening wide eyes to see the man’s reaction.

"Aa. You mean with the shadow on your head, don’t you?" There was a smile on Conrad’s face… but then it was rare that there wasn’t.

Yuuri just nodded and closed his eyes again. They were silent for some time.

"Why don’t you go in the shade?" Conrad asked, curious.

"I suppose it’s because like this in the sun I feel very warm." Yuuri answered lazily. 

"It usually is warm in the sun, yes. " Conrad answered politely. He felt as if comprehension just escaped his reach. He must have missed something.

Yuuri went on. "It’s like a kiss should feel like, you know?" 

Conrad wasn’t moving, but froze all the same; his smile tensed for a few seconds and he didn’t answer.

After a while, Yuuri concluded, turning his head to flash a bright smile at the standing figure: "Like this in the sun, I feel loved."

And it might be strange, but though it was Conrad’s back that was facing the sun, it was his face that was burning

  



	2. Sun kissed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the end of the day, Conrad compares Yuuri with the sun.

Lately, I tend to think more and more of how Yuuri and the sun are alike. I did notice it before, of course, how he brought smiles to faces and happiness to hearts. He just needs to enter a room and the mood brightens – Wolfram behaves some more and Gwendal doesn’t frown so much. I smile then, of course. When I’m not worried I smile; it has become a habit by now. The world could come crashing down but if Yuuri was all right and somewhere in sight I’d smile… but I was thinking of how Yuuri and the sun were similar. 

 

He is warm too, you know, warm with a smiling kindness that touches everyone. On some days it makes me feel as if I were melting inside. And all the same his touch burns. Sunburns. Yuuri was laying in the sun this afternoon and after he smiled at me I felt at peace, until Wolfram interrupted and got his betrothed moving. But Yuuri stated his like of the sun and they stayed together in it afterwards. Wolfram got a sunburn. But I think I got burned too. Not today, no, but it has slowly been throbbing with pain, my heart. His Holiness made me realise this too. If Yuuri is the sun, his friend from Earth surely is the Moon, reflecting Yuuri’s light to people, and when it's not, reflecting people’s love of Yuuri’s light back to them.  
  
Anyway those things aren’t new. The thing that brought the comparison back is the way I get blinded when I look at Yuuri these days. If I look too long at his face, his smile, his bright eyes, I close off the rest of the world and see nothing else – so I smile tighter and squint my eyes to keep watching him as he speaks. However when night comes and Yuuri has set and gone to sleep, those images of him come back to me, like now. There is no one here and even with all lights out I still see flashes of his face, his smile, his eyes. In me, like the sun, Yuuri provokes remanence.  


 


	3. Sun burned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wolfram has found Yuuri‘s diary and spotted the only word he knows how to read in Earth language: his name... However Murata refuses to translate for him, so that leaves…

Wolfram had found the Maou’s diary. Gleeful day when he would finally know how Yuuri’s thoughts worked! The day before had been kind of a disaster: he had gotten a sunburn and because of that nearly couldn’t sleep at all. But Yuuri had seemed concerned for a few seconds, so maybe it wasn’t that bad.

 

However, as he tried to read the wording, Wolfram’s glee quickly disappeared. It was all Earth language, Japanese. In the latest entry he could just discern a few occurrences of the only word he new in Yuuri’s mother tongue: his name. And then the Great Sage flat out refused to tell him what was written. That left Wolfram with only one choice, the one he didn’t want to make. But he wanted to know what the Maou thought about him. He needed to know.

 

That is why Conrad Weller found himself with Yuuri’s diary in his hands, looking at his very, very red younger brother. Wolfram really had sensitive skin, to get such a sunburn. 

 

Conrad had learned English as he was on Earth, but had brought back books to learn Japanese, as he knew the future king would be raised in Japan. He had spend years familiarising himself with the foreign language and even though he wasn’t completely fluent in it, maybe this was the time to put his knowledge to good use?

 

"I’m not so sure this is a good idea." Conrad hadn’t opened the book yet. He felt nervous, but curious at the same time. Was this the diary his Holiness had mentioned sometime when he had started his new radio program? The one which supposedly said he had a very cold sense of humour? Conrad’s hands twitched. Should he open it?

 

"Now Weller-kyo, as the king’s fiancé, I think I have the right to know what he thinks. Just tell me what he wrote about me yesterday!"

 

Conrad was curious. Curiosity supposedly killed the cat… he wasn’t a feline, was he? The Ruthenberg’s lion opened the book to the last page and his eyes fell onto the familiar handwriting.  
  
_We had a picnic today. It was great! Only Wolfram caught a sunburn. He does have fair skin, doesn’t he? He can’t stay for long in the sun. Conrad seemed all right though. Maybe because he has darker features. Yosak is suntanned as well. Strange, I thought red heads were in the same category as blonds. Hope Conrad didn’t get a sun stroke. He did stand for quite sometime making a shadow for me. And then he acted strange yesterday night._  
  
_Wolfram has started peeling, and his skin is red. I hope it doesn’t hurt too much. Been thinking that Conrad has a sunburn of a kind too. He’s been feeling more and more like an onion. He doesn’t smell bad or anything! Just I feel he has many, many layers. And he has been peeling, losing them. He’s reacted more lately, like he had raw skin. He seems to hurt. I wish there were some kind of lotion to heal these kinds of burns… Thankfully Greta stayed in the shade. I wouldn’t want her to get burned too._

  Conrad blushed slightly and closed the book. It wasn’t that obvious, but Wolfram caught it all the same. Then he demanded to know why.

"He wrote about you, and sunburns." Conrad carefully disclosed.

__

 

__

"I want to know why you were blushing!" Wolfram sounded quite angry, suspicious and hopeful at the same time, and so Conrad explained.

__

 

__

"His Majesty wished he could apply some lotion on sunburns." In this world, lotions were used for massage and… As it was Wolfram’s turn to get even redder, Conrad quickly amended. "He doesn’t mean it that way you know; in his world there are all kind of medicines and they often come in balms. That’s what he meant. Just seeing the word, I…"

__

 

__

Somehow Wolfram had seemed pleased, like he had an idea. As his younger brother went away to put the diary back in his place, Conrad Weller felt uneasy: he had a really bad feeling about this.

 


	4. Flaming sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wolfram’s idea backfires... He gets angry. Yuuri snaps and flames everyone.

Yuuri was actually surprised the next day when Wolfram asked him if he could help with something. 

 

Yuuri’s day had not been that great until now. He had been frustrated by nearly everything: he had the feeling that Conrad was hiding something from him… something that concerned him. Then at breakfast, Gunter had found a way to marvel at the way he was buttering his bread. Well, Gunter was all right, but he had chosen the wrong day to be all over Yuuri so early in the morning. Wolfram, who had been quite awake for a morning, had been throwing him coy glances when he wasn’t scolding Gunter for his unabashed behaviour. Then he had disappeared for the rest of the day till now; it was mid-afternoon. 

 

Concerning Gwendal… well, he might have tried to help the young king in his decision making, but Yuuri had not really been in the mood to bother with too complex politics with this fine weather, and his advisor finally told him he was behaving as an immature child. Yuuri had been none too happy about that. Really, who wanted to leave a peace treaty unsigned with a country because some other one would take offence for not being the first to sign one with Shin Makoku? And to say that this situation could lead to war… Could they not simply arrange to have both treaties signed at the same time? Yuuri wasn’t very happy that his opinion had been discarded so easily, and he hadn’t understood Gwendal’s explanation very well.

 

And now Wolfram was back with an idea… he might have been slightly worried as the other youth led him to the room they shared. But everything went back to a semblance of normality when the king found out that all his fiancé wanted was for him to rub some cream on the sunburn on his back. Peace, however, did not last for long.

" Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh ! " 

Wolfram’s scream of pain brought people running to the Maou’s room. When they arrived, there were very angry voices to be heard. Cheri’s two elder sons nodded to each other, then hands on their swords, they pushed the door open.

The dialog they heard inside went something like this:

"I can’t believe you’d be that stupid!"

"Then if you knew it’d hurt, why did you put it on, idiot!"

"I DIDN’T know! YOU brought the stuff!"

"It was YOUR idea to put lotion on sunburns! We DON’T do that sort of thing here! Freak!"

Yuuri stared at Wolfram as he spoke of sunburns, and when he understood ...

"You’ve been STEALING my diary?!" Yuuri was seething.

"I put it back! Anyway this is YOUR fault!"

"At least I didn’t speak about putting MASSAGE OIL on burns!" Yuuri was seeing red – how dare Wolfram steal his diary!

 

By now Conrad knew why he had had a bad feeling. He, Gwendal and Gunter had stopped just inside the entrance and were now witnessing the heated exchange. Greta, who had been running after Gunter had just arrived.

"I thought you might LIKE it! That maybe you’d LOVE me back!" 

That was the last straw; Yuuri had had enough. 

He snapped and let out these incendiary words: "YOU are in love with an IDEA of me. NONE of you loves me for who I am! And that goes for EVERYONE here!"

The look he send around was scalding. 

There were different degrees of shock on the bystanders’ faces.

"Then you wouldn’t mind breaking up! Would you?" Wolfram shouted, wounded and vexed. Who was Yuuri to say such a thing! And his back still hurt!

"No, I wouldn’t! I’ve said it often enough, too!" Yuuri shouted back.

"Then that’s IT! I’m breaking the engagement!" And with a last "You heard that!" Wolfram stormed out of the room.

Yuuri threw another dark look at the group in front of the door, stopping on each and every face, blinded by his anger. 

Someone let out a sob. It might have been Gunter. 

The king turned his back on them. When he looked back, they were all gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh and by the way I forgot : no flames, please ? ^^   
>    
>  ... just kidding.  
> 


	5. Third degree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri realises what he has done. 

Yuuri felt bad. This was very wrong. He had believed what he said back then, every word of it. But saying it aloud might not have been a good idea. He found out about it at breakfast.

 

He had slept in, actually. No one had come to wake him up, and Wolfram had not been there to kick him out of the bed either. When he arrived at the table, they looked up from their meals. Wolfram threw him a look of disdain and went back to eating. Gwendal frowned at him like he had seen something unpleasant, he seemed both disappointed with the king and slightly mad at him. Gunter was crying openly. Yuuri really didn’t like to see Gunter’s face in tears, and he made him an apologetic timid smile. 

 

Afterwards there had been hell. As Yuuri had started eating, Gunter had somehow decided he was most decidedly NOT in love with His Majesty. He was in lust with him. That been decided, he had started acting as usual again… with one less restraint: the Maou was no longer engaged. Yuuri finally had to flee the dining room in panic. 

 

Then Greta had refused to stay with him.

 

"I’m mad at you right now. " She had stated calmly. And when he had apologised, she had added: 

 

"I understand you were angry, I can forgive you, but I’m really unhappy with you: people were hurt!" She had looked at him with determined and grave eyes. "So I won‘t speak with you right now." And she had left him standing bewildered in the corridor.

 

Even the guards would look at him strangely.

 

He had found Conrad outside in the garden, holding mitt and ball and looking up at the sky. At least Conrad had sounded normal.

 

"Good morning, Your Majesty."

 

"Good morning, Conrad." Conrad was smiling, but when Yuuri looked up to his eyes he felt it. Conrad’s eyes were empty. His face was smiling but his expression was blank. He seemed dead. He proposed a game and Yuuri agreed, not even daring to protest at the "Your Majesty" thing as he was looking for a way to change this face. He did not want to see Conrad like this!

 

Conrad’s throws were good. Their power and aim didn’t change from the usual, but they had no spirit. Finally Yuuri, finding no issue, ordered Conrad not to show him those eyes, to show some emotion, any emotion, please. Conrad had closed his eyes and then turned around, but in that Shibuya second, Yuuri had felt it.

 

Conrad felt raw. Pain was oozing from his body like a body fluid, like his whole being was a giant wound.

 

"Conrad. Look at me." Yuuri pleaded.

 

Conrad twitched at the sound. It seemed to Yuuri as if he had just touched coal, crumbling under his fingers.

 

"I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I must go." He started forward and away.

 

"Why, Conrad?" Yuuri’s eyes were filling with tears. Conrad stopped, his back still turned. Yuuri knew he had wounded Conrad, he knew he had to apologise, but he couldn’t right now. "Why won’t you look at me?" There was something Yuuri did not understand there. Why wouldn’t Conrad show anything? He could be angry at him too, that would be better, anything would be better than the blank look he had.

 

Yuuri somehow new that Conrad’s eyes were not blank anymore, but why did Conrad not look at him? He wanted to go to Conrad and wrap his arms around him, to reassure him and beg for forgiveness, but he couldn’t if he didn’t understand. Conrad acted like he had been badly wounded, and hugging a person with a third degree burn wouldn’t help. What was he missing there?

 

"I made a promise," Conrad said. And then he left.

 


	6. Water above

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cheri arrives and give some counsel.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When you have a burn, you should put it in water: run water above the wounded area and let in flow in rivulets on the burn. Don’t let it in water for too long lest it cools the body too much.  
>   
> 

 

Cheri had heard the news and was arriving from Spitzberg. As she descended from the carriage, two of her sons were waiting for her on one side, and a worried Maou on the other. Greta was standing somewhere in between and as she saw the former Maou, she put on a relieved smile.

 

Cheri looked at Gwendal’s frown, at Wolfram’s pout, she spared a glance at Yuuri and looked around. Then, having grasped the situation, she smiled and went to greet her sons. Caressing their jaws on both sides of her, she said in a playful tone:

 

"Ara, what are those faces? Aren’t you happy to see me?" and then more seriously, "You should know that nothing hurts but the truth." 

 

And then, seemingly playful again, she had dragged them to her apartments. 

 

"I’m sorry, Your Majesty. Do you mind if I talk to my sons for a while?" 

 

Yuuri had been left alone to think. _Nothing hurts but the truth,_ Cheri had said. But the truth didn’t account for Conrad’s reaction. What did he miss? What was this promise that had Conrad not looking at him? The truth of Conrad’s reaction was somewhere there, in front of his nose, but it kept eluding his grasp. What was it that he didn’t see?

 

When Cheri had finally opened her door to Yuuri, he was no less advanced. 

 

"Have you seen Conrad?" he asked.

 

"Yes, I have." She answered, and closed in on him.

 

" Do you know?" he blurted out. "The reason why he won’t look at me, do you know it?" 

 

She looked thoughtful and didn’t answer.

 

"He said there was a promise," Yuuri went on. "Do you know what it is?" he pleaded.

 

Cheri put her arms around him, gently but firmly. Her embrace would turn into a dead lock if he tried to run without thinking. She would not have him hurting her son further. She would not let him go do something rash when all of his actions had an impact on her son’s life. 

 

"I know. He told me about it." And she began her tale. "It was some time shortly before you were born. You know of the war, don’t you?" Yuuri nodded.

 

"As he was sent to the Earth, Conrad was desperate. It had been months already but he had not smiled again, his face was a mixture of pain, hate and self-loathing." Cheri’s heart constricted, thinking back to that time. "Then when he met your father, he was lost and torn. He didn’t want to let go of your soul, but he knew he couldn’t keep it all the same, and all the other feelings were still there. Your father didn’t want his family to see such a torn face, and he made Conrad swear he would never show your mother or you this tortured face… do you understand now?"

 

During Cheri’s speech, Yuuri had finally gotten hold of the truth and understood. So that was why. And when she had concluded with the promise he had been sure. He had to apologise to Conrad, and he had to make it up to him.

 

Yuuri nodded and moved. Cheri tightened her grasp on him, intent not to let go, but Yuuri didn’t push. He didn’t pull. He flowed. He flowed around and out and, escaping, went for the door. At the door he turned back with a self assured and kind smile to the bewildered former queen.

 

"Don’t worry, I’ll have my father rescind the promise." And he exited through the door: now he had to find Conrad.


	7. Healing rivulets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri has understood. Now he must find Conrad and apologise.  

Yuuri found Conrad in his room. He was standing behind the desk in front of the windows and looked wearily at the ball and glove laying on the desk.

 

"Conrad." He said, closing the door behind him.

 

"Your Majesty." Conrad still didn’t look at him, but now Yuuri knew why. Oh, why hadn’t he seen it before?

 

"I apologise, Conrad. I’m really, really sorry to have said that." He waited some time, he wanted Conrad to be able to speak if he wanted to.

 

"You don’t have to. You meant every word of it, I know. There is no need to apologise." Conrad said, his tone tender but flat.

 

"But I have to. I was wrong. I was wrong, wasn’t I ? Conrad."

 

Conrad raised his head to look at Yuuri in surprise, and Yuuri felt his heart soar. Conrad was looking at him, Conrad’s eyes were not dead anymore. But he was still hurt and still felt very raw.

 

Holding the older half-demon’s eyes, Yuuri said slowly and softly:

 

"I apologise Conrad, because I was wrong and I didn’t know it."

 

Conrad still looked at him with a bewildered face, letting Yuuri’s word flow through him, easing the pain. A glimmer of hope found his way into his eyes.

 

"Can you forgive me?"

 

"I have already forgiven you," said Conrad. His voice croaked a bit, and he answered Yuuri’s bright smile with a strained gentle one.

 

"I’ll have my father free you of the promise, Conrad. It is unfair." He neared Conrad, still holding his gaze. Therefore he didn’t see the glass on the desk and bumped it with his hand. The water spilled and Yuuri let out a surprised exclamation. But as he went to put the glass back up, he was pulled into the water. He looked back to hold Conrad’s eyes as he went.

 

" See you soon, Conrad," he said. And then he was gone.


	8. Upon the Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri’s back on Earth, with a purpose.  

Shibuya Yuuri arrived in his home where he had last left it: the bathroom. He dressed and went into the living room. His mother was making the evening meal, and it smelled really good. No one else was in the room. 

 

"Tadaima." 

 

"Okaerinasai." Jennifer answered automatically. "Are? You went somewhere, Yuu-chan?" 

 

Yuuri looked sheepish. "Ah, sorry. To me I haven’t seen you in weeks." 

 

Hearing that Jennifer ran to him, wooden spoon still in hand. "Then it’s wonderful to have you back!" And she gave him a big hug.

 

"Mother!" He exclaimed, detangling himself from her.

 

"Call me Mommy, Yuu-chan!" She admonished him playfully.

 

That particular exchange had Yuuri thinking back to Conrad. His mood darkened. 

 

"Is father back yet?" he asked.

 

"No, but he should be there soon, why?" And she looked carefully at her son. "Is something wrong?" 

 

"I’m not particularly happy with him right now," he answered. Just then the door opened and Shibuya senior came in.

 

"Speak of the devil," Jennifer smiled. Demon, actually, but close enough. 

 

"Oh? You were speaking about me?" said the man, putting his briefcase away and loosening his tie. 

 

"It seems Yuu-chan wants a word with you…" 

 

Shouma turned a curious face towards his younger son, whose gaze was dead black. 

 

"Eh, what’s wrong Yuuri?" 

 

"I want you to release Conrad from the promise you put him under all those years ago." 

 

Shouma swallowed hard. He had never seen his son this serious. "Wh-what about it?" 

 

"You release him from it." Yuuri had carefully articulated each syllable. "It was wrong and iniquitous." 

 

"I only wanted to protect you!" His father protested, getting protective again.

 

"Eh? What are you talking about?" Jennifer inquired.

 

"It’s nothing, dear…" Shouma began, before Yuuri interrupted him to impart the tale.

 

"Years ago, shortly before I was born, this man met Conrad Weller, my godfather. To allow him to meet us, he had him promise something: never show an unhappy face in front of us." Then he turned his barely contained anger at his father. "You made him promise to never show his pain! How is that human!"

 

"What?" exclaimed his mother.

 

"Well, he was scary … " Shouma began to protest.

 

"He just came from a war. As a member of a shunned minority, he had still defended his country. As a captain, he has lost all his troops. They had been victorious, but with only two survivors – two! Then coming back injured he found out his most important person was dead! Because of the war the only Mazoku who completely accepted him beside his mother was dead! How could you expect him to show a happy face!"

 

"I didn’t know that!" Shouma protested again. 

 

"You will remove that promise." Shin Makoku’s Maou stated. 

 

"But it surely isn’t that important anymore…" Shouma really, really should have looked at his wife before answering: her look mirrored that of her son. That promised him lots of trouble for later on.

 

"It is!" Yuuri’s voice had raised. "You basically made him promise never to show me his pain! I want that man by my side, whether in good times or bad times! How can I do that when he has to hide during bad times!" Yuuri was angry, but suddenly the situation diffused as Jennifer spoke again, with a high pitched voice.

 

"Oooh! Marvellous! You have found someone you love Yuu-chan! I’m so happy!"

 

Both men turned equally incomprehensive looks towards her. She then took the voice that meant business.

 

"Shouma!"

 

"Yes, darling?"

 

"You will do what he says! I’ll not have you messing with someone my son wants to marry!"

 

"Yes, honey." Shouma said without a protest.

 

"M-m-marry ??!" Said Yuuri incredulously before falling over. When had he said something like that?


	9. Tender skin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This time they all go back to Shin Makoku. Time to release Conrad from his pledge.  

Jennifer had went on to scold her husband, but when she had poured the pitcher’s contents on his head, there had been a lot of collateral damage and the three of them found themselves drenched in water and standing in the fountain of Shinou’s temple.

 

As usual, quite a crowd was waiting for them: Gunter, Wolfram and Greta were there. After a rather ecstatic Ulrike had greeted the Maou and his parents, they had taken the direction of Blood Pledge Castle. Jennifer, Shouma and Greta had gone up in the carriage while the others rode on horse back.

 

Jennifer had used the occasion to speak with her grand-daughter, and to learn about her adoptive parents’ break-up. 

 

It had been a week already since Yuuri had left for the Earth, and it seemed that Cheri had done marvels. Nothing seemed to have changed and if it weren’t for the fact that Wolfram didn’t complain as much about his wimp or traitor of a fiancé, Yuuri could have believed that none of those events had taken place.

 

Gunter was a bit more restrained in his attentions, but that might just have been because the Maou’s parents were there… Wolfram tolerated him, it didn’t seem any different from one of his usual pouting fits back when Yuuri did something he didn’t like… but maybe he was only acting that way to set a good example for his daughter. Greta, well, she seemed to have forgiven him, and that took a weight off his heart. 

 

Upon their arrival they were greeted by Gwendal and his mother, who immediately seemed to take a liking to Jennifer. Gwendal was his usual frowning self, but Yuuri didn’t feel any resentment coming from him. Good, because Gwendal always made him feel very inferior and inadequate. But, where was Conrad?

 

Yuuri was slightly worried by now and looked around, but then Gwendal explained in a few words that Conrad had been sent on a patrol early in the morning, long before they had learned of his arrival. And just then, horse noises could be heard and Conrad and his men entered through the main gate. Yuuri met Conrad’s eyes and smiled: he was smiling again.

 

Then pushed forward by his wife, Shibuya Shouma had bowed, apologised and officially released Conrad from his promise. The half-demon took it with good grace and a smile, and then Cheri had ushered them all towards the dining room to have lunch. For most of them, it wasn’t the first time they had had lunch with each other and the atmosphere was good-natured, until sometime during the main course, that is. Jennifer had quite innocently asked, "So, when is the wedding?", causing Yuuri to nearly choke on a fishbone and the others to look at her with bewildered, wide opened eyes. Only Cheri had a shrewd look.

 

When Wolfram, red in the face had muttered: "We are not betrothed anymore," it had been Jennifer’s turn to look surprised. This wasn’t the person she had expected to respond. Yuuri, beet-red as well, had his head down and was busy staring at his plate, and therefore he missed the concerned look on Conrad’s face. 

 

Cheri diffused the situation and the afternoon turned out to be quite normal after that. Yuuri’s parents visited the castle and village with the Maou, and when they insisted that they should go back they had taken the carriage back to Shinous temple. After all, they pointed out, Shouri had been due home as well and would be quite thrown off if all he found was a water puddle in the kitchen. Besides, dinner was still on the stove, and Jennifer worried it might burn.

 

Riding in front of the carriage, Yuuri enjoyed the normality of Conrad’s company again. Everything wasn’t quite back to normal, and he thought Conrad still was sensitive, like he had tender new skin, but it still was much better than before, besides…

 

Conrad had a gentle mocking smile on his face as he asked: "What was that about a wedding earlier, Yuuri ?" 

 

"N-n-nothing!" Yuuri stammered, flailing his arms in defence. "It was nothing, really!" 

 

And Conrad smiled an earnest smile, like he knew exactly what was going on in Yuuri’s head. 

 

The king sighed. "All right. It was a major misunderstanding again." 

 

"How so?" Conrad was genuinely curious now.

 

"I was trying to convince my dad, you know?" Yuuri looked up to lock eyes with Conrad, who listened attentively. "And I said I wanted to have you by my side in both good and bad times… only mother mistook it as a declaration, I mean mommy." Yuuri sighed again and turned his face forward once more.

 

"I understand." Conrad said neutrally. "That’s not what you meant." 

 

"No, it’s not." Yuuri said. But then he added with a bright encouraging smile to his friend: "But I meant every word of it." 

 

Conrad blinked, stunned, and if he hadn’t been on horseback he might have halted in his tracks. But then he shook his head, smiling and rode normally again by Yuuri’s side. Yuuri was and always would be Yuuri, after all.


End file.
